With the iPhone 16 series now official and available to pre-order, thousands of Aussies will be comparing prices and plans to lock down the best iPhone offer. Straight out the gate, Vodafone has launched what might be the hottest iPhone 16 deal of all – the option to get the newest iPhone for ZERO dollars.
The new iPhone 16 series ranges in price from $1,399, up to $2,849, so anything to save money is likely to be welcomed by customers. But is Vodafone’s $0 iPhone deal too good to be true? We’ve broken down how the offer works below.
How to get Vodafone’s $0 iPhone 16 deal
If you’re looking to score a $0 iPhone 16, there’s a few boxes you’ll need to tick first. You don’t need to be a current Vodafone customer, but you will need to commit to 36 months on a Vodafone mobile plan. You’ll also need to have an unwanted phone available to trade-in (preferably another iPhone in good condition).
Once you’ve picked your new iPhone 16 on a 12, 24 or 36-month device payment plan, you’ll need to add it to Vodafone’s new, limited-time $79 Promo SIM plan. This plan was launched specifically for iPhone 16 and includes 200GB of high-speed data per month (now tripled to a massive 600GB per month ongoing). Sign up before September 19, and you’ll get a $36 per month discount for 36 months, provided you stay connected – that’s a saving of $1,296 off your plan costs.
The second step is claiming up to $1,350 in trade-in credit on an unwanted smartphone through Vodafone’s trade-in service. If your old device is approved to trade in, you’ll receive credit for the full trade-in value applied directly to your Vodafone bill over the 12, 24 or 36 months of your device payments, in equal monthly instalments.
Vodafone accepts trade-ins for most popular devices, including phones from Apple, Samsung, Google and OPPO. However, your old phone’s trade-in value will depend on its model and storage size, as well as its working condition; the newest, most premium handsets will earn you the most credit. To get the maximum $1,350 of credit, you’ll need to trade in the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage in good working condition.
To give you a better idea of what Vodafone is offering in trade-in credit for various smartphones, the telco has supplied Canstar Blue with the following table outlining how much customers can save with the promo plan and trade-in combo.
Is the iPhone 16 really $0 with Vodafone?
Vodafone is basing its $0 iPhone offer on the combined value of a trade-in device and the 36-month discount period on the its $79 plan. So to get a ‘free’ iPhone 16 with 128GB of storage – valued at $1,399 – you’ll need to get the full $1,296 total discount on the $79 plan, plus trade in a device worth $105 or more. However, if you’re looking at the most expensive iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB storage, you’ll still pay a $200 gap even if you received the maximum $1,350 in trade-in credit.
While taking advantage of the Vodafone’s trade-in credit can help you save on the cost of the new phone, combining this offer with the $79 Promo plan isn’t quite the equivalent of a ‘free’ iPhone. Even with the plan’s $36 discount, you’re still paying $43 per month for 36 months, or $1,548 in total – and that’s not including your phone payment, even after any trade-in value is applied.
For example, if you’re upgrading to the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro on the $79 Promo plan for 36 months, and want to trade in your old 256GB iPhone 12 Pro in good working order, you’ll get $370 back in trade-in credit. This will be paid as a $10.27 monthly credit on your account.
The iPhone Pro’s monthly device payment is $55.52, so combined with the discounted $43 plan cost, that’s $98.52 per month. With the trade-in credit added, you’ll pay a total of $88.25 per month over 36 months, or $3,177 in total. To compare, without any of the above discounts or trade-in credit, that same plan and phone would cost you $134.52 per month, or $4,842.72 over 36 months.
While Vodafone’s mobile plans are contract-free, and the telco doesn’t charge early termination fees, leaving your plan early can cost you more. You’ll need to stay with Vodafone for the full length of your device payment term to get the entire trade-in value of your device back. Because credit is applied monthly, rather than all at once, if you cancel your Vodafone service early you’ll forfeit any remaining trade-in credit that hasn’t yet been paid to your account.
Keep this is mind if you do want to trade in your phone with Vodafone: if you cancel before your 12, 24 or 36-month payment term is up, you’ll miss out on the full trade-in value of your old device.
The following table compares a selection of 24-month Vodafone 128GB iPhone 16 plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to compare plans from a range of providers.
The following table compares a selection of 24-month Vodafone 128GB iPhone 16 Plus plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to compare plans from a range of providers.
The following table compares a selection of 24-month Vodafone 128GB iPhone 16 Pro plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to compare plans from a range of providers.
The following table compares a selection of 24-month Vodafone 256GB iPhone 16 Pro Max plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to compare plans from a range of providers.
Is Vodafone’s iPhone 16 offer a good deal?
If you’re looking for the cheapest way to pick up one of the new iPhone 16 phones on a telco plan, you don’t need to jump on Vodafone’s promo offer to find the lowest price. Vodafone is already the cheapest option of the major telcos in Canstar Blue’s database, with its most affordable standard iPhone 16 plan coming in at $3 per month less than Optus, and $16 per month less than Telstra.
If you go for Vodafone over Telstra, you’ll save $576 over 36 months of repayments on just your phone plan costs alone. Compared to Optus, Vodafone’s plan is $108 cheaper over 36 months. All three telcos offer the same 50GB data inclusions, along with unlimited standard national talk and text in Australia.
The following table compares a selection of 36-month 128GB iPhone 16 plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to compare plans from a range of providers.
Vodafone is also throwing in some extras for new customers. If you do decide to trade in an old device, but don’t want to sign on for the $79 Promo mobile plan, you can claim a bonus $150 of trade-in credit on any other Vodafone SIM plan when paired with a new iPhone. Vodafone is also offering bonus data and monthly discounts on its Medium and Large plans for customers who sign up by October 10; the Medium plan is now $55 per month for 300GB of data, and the Large is reduced to $60 per month for 500GB of data, both as long as you stay connected.
On a data-for-dollars basis, Vodafone’s $79 plan is the best value, as you’ll get 600GB per month for $43 with the bonus data and 36-month discount applied. If you do want a massive data allowance for a good price, jumping on this offer could prove worthwhile.
However, if you’re banking on getting the new iPhone 16 for $0, make sure you do the maths first to see what you’ll really pay over 36 months. Vodafone’s iPhone 16 promo and trade-in offer could be a good way to save, but you’ll still need to commit to the telco long-term to get your money’s worth.
Compare the best iPhone 16 plans in Australia
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